The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-21

cradle sum failed just before the day
for paying him. The poor man had bills
to meet next week, and he had been rely
Ing on this very sum to enable him to
take them up. He applied to his
bankers to help him-in vain; he tried
one old friend after another-it was
quite useless. Poor Thompson's bills
were dishonored, and in o month he
was adjudicated bankrupt.
The comfortable establishment ut
Blackheath was broken up; all the
household goods-the girls piano,
the old mans easy chair, the pictures,
the very spoons and forks were seized
and sold. There were no friends at
hand to buy In some OF the fnrnit ure
and help the disconsolGte family to
make fresh start. They went and
hid themselves in lodgings in q mean
street in the region OF Upper Holloway
TO complete the distress OF the fam.
lily, Tom, who was the only one OF
them who was earning anything sub
stantial, suddenly lost his situation.
Kate found some work as q daily
governess, but her salary went but a
little way in keeping the wolf from
the door.
As the old man, now looking seedy
and thread bare. was returning home
ward along Cheapside one bitter No
vember day after an unsuccessful ut
tempt to obtain employment as a
bookkeeper he met Mr.. Brandt face to
face. An angry gleam came into the
bankrupts eyes, for he could not help
entertaining u feeling that the German
had had hand in his misfortunes-
certainly they had begun shortly after
the time when he had expelled the
banker from his house. But Brandt
came up to him, fat, ilourishing and
smiling, and held out his hand.
"Mr. Thompson-my old frlend-l
was so sorry to hear Of your misfor'
tunes" He took the broken.
down merchants unresisting hand
and pressed it as he spoke,
81 would have sought you out and
offered my sympathy sooner. but
feared you might think it an in
trusion as we were not on very good
terms when we last parted-eh? But
let bygones be bygones, as your fine
English proverb says. Here IS res
taurant. Have you had lunch? What
do you say to have n chop and aglass
ofsherry together, for old times sake?,
The poor old man was hungry and
he consented.
"Now tell me what | can do for
YOU" said the German, when Thomp'
son had finished the most com.
Portable meal he had had for many a
day. "Tel me howyou are allgettine
on"
Every badly-all OF us. Tom has
lost mis- situation"
"Ah, sob! Well, we must find him
another one. And my old friend Mees
Kate-how is she?"
"She is tolerably well; that is, she's
not strong and works too hard"
ever sorry: yer sad" said the Ger.
man, but his face did net betoken any
very greet grief at the intelligence.
A little more conversation passed
between the two men and then they
parted, Thompson giving his wealthy
friend his new address, and the latter
assuring him that he would do his
best to find n berth for "Mr. Tom"
and that he would write or call as
soon as he had any good news to
communicate. The old man went
home inclined to think that the bank
er was, after all, "a good sort" and
congratulated himself on having found
q friend in his time OF need.
A week had hardly elapsed from the
time OF this fortunate meeting when
the banker presented himself
Mt No, 80 Battenberg Terrace,
Upper Holloway. kate's cheeks
flushed as she gave him her hand, and
the German thought land rightly
that she looked quite as beautiful in
her cheap merino frock and imitation
lace collar as she had done in an expen-
sivecostume in the days OF her father
prosperity.
He said very little to her, turning
his attention chiefly to her father.
He was the bearer OF good news. He
had used his influence successfully
with gentleman whom he knew-a
director OF an Indian Tea Company
and he was able to offer Tom n post
on tea plantation in India. 1t
was not very much, but better
than nothing, perhaps-and it was
beginning. OF cource the offer
was q atefullyaccepted on behalf OF tn
young man, who happened to be out
that evening; and after somewhat
prolonged stay in the shabby little sit
ting-room. the banker took his depart
ure. There was something in his man
ner, composed as it was, as
he shook hands with Kate, and told
the girl that he had not forgotten the
events OF the previous year-that ht